A US lawmaker who plays a lead role on Asia policy on Sunday called late North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il the ‘epitome of evil’ and hoped his death would mark a new chapter for the authoritarian state.
Representative Don Manzullo, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on East Asia, said that US lawmakers have watched with alarm as Kim sought nuclear weapons and caused "provovations" against the South.
"Kim Jong-Il was the epitome of evil, a dictator of the worst kind who ruled his country with an iron fist and dished out constant pain and misery to his people," said Manzullo, a member of the House's Republican majority from Illinois.
"We hope his passing will mark a new chapter for North Korea. This is an opportunity for North Korea to emerge from its cycle of oppression and walk down a new path toward democracy," he said.
Manzullo spoke just as the White House issued a cautious first reaction by the administration to Kim Jong-Il's death, saying that the United States is committed to stability on the Korean peninsula.